Hey, I am new here. I am looking to buy my 1st Kayak. Just starting back to fishing last year from the shore. I am looking to buy an outback for fishing in small/lg lakes in AZ. My wife bought a yak yesterday from Dick's sporting goods as she will be kayaking more for the hobby/exercise part of it. I would like mine for the same as well as fishing. I think I have it narrowed down to the Hobie Outback. They finally started selling Hobie in Tempe,Az which is better than driving to Lake Havasu. We saw them yesterday and like them. I originally thought I would like the pro angler, it's not for me. The ultimate goal would be to transport along with the rest of our toys to smaller lakes in the northern part of the state. I am 5'10 190lbs, would the outback ok for a guy my size? Any suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks,Brooks

It'll be fine and offers a great deal of freeboard and room for tackle and accessories. You'll love it.

The only other boat I'd consider with your particular criteria in mind is the Revolution 13. It's a little faster than the Outback (the Outback is no slouch - your wife will be hard pressed to keep up with you) but has a much more compact cockpit and less room for tackle and such.

When you come right down to it, the Outback is probably the best overall compromise consisting of the most features from all the boats in the Hobie Mirage Drive fishing line up. It's not necessarily the very best at any one thing, but it's very good at just about everything.

I have a demo outback right now. I am 5'8" and 205 and it peddled well for me. The demo boat just had the regular fins and it went up river against the current just fine. Although it is a nice boat, I have decided to go with the revolution 13 for the speed.

My son has a Revolution 13. He's 5'10", 180 lbs or so and loves it. My fiance has an outback and I have a PA12. I like both the Outback and the PA12. My PA 12 is the most stable of the 3 and the Outback is close behind it. My son CAN and does stand up in his Revo but Id never try it. If I had to have the Outback for me instead of the PA12, Id be perfectly satisfied having been in both kayaks and knowing what I do. You cant go wrong with the Outback if its primarily for fishing. A lot of people say its harder to paddle but I see no problem with it. In fact, I like paddling my PA12 from time to time.

Hi BrooksI have an Outback and I'm around your size. I think its a great fishing kayak. Sometimes I think I would have liked a Revolution, but thats only when I'm getting a face full of spray in choppy conditions. Otherwise I have no complaints about its speed. It carries a heap of gear, the tackle trays are super handy as are the rod holders. Its very stable and manouverable. If you do get one get the turbo fins and sailing rudder, they do make a significant difference.

I have a Revolution 11 set up for fresh water and saltwater fishing for salmon in the Pacific NW. I am your size and weight. I like that it is small and light enough to put in the back of my 6.5 ft bed pickup and can get two on top of my Jeep wrangler for pulling behind my RV. It is very seaworthy. I added the sidekick AMA for added stability when stand-up flyfishing or downrigger fishing. It can be paddled or peddled and can float in very shallow water, especially when the Mirage Drive is removed or retracted. It is very maneuverable. Our favorite destination is Florida and it should handle the tight, shallow, twisting creeks, etc just fine

Here is a link to a video I just posted testing the Sidekick AMA. http://youtu.be/k4HnsR_0VTo. (I probably screwed up the embed.) More to come.

And Thank You to this forum for the great info I have received during my lurking. This is my first post!

I bought the outback mirage about 2 months ago. Im 6'2 220 lbs. I love it. In the ocean caught stripers, blues and fluke. Awesome kayak. im setting it up with a fishfinder and accessories now. i luv it

One tip I would give you is to try to do everything you think you might do in each kayak you are considering before making a purchase. I test pedaled the revo and the outback. When I had them out I stopped, sat side saddle, reached around back, reached to the front hatch, paddled them, rocked them, thought about where I would put stuff, etc. In the end, the outback felt better to me. For others the revo is the better choice. There is no bad choice. Test every model you are considering and pick the one that best fits your style.

_________________Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for. --John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

The best thing to do is rent each one you are considering. My wife and I rented a outback and a revo 13. Neither of us could do a self rescue in the outback, my wife could not even turn it back over. On the revo 13 it was easy. It takes much more effort to pedal the outback and it is much harder to paddle. It catches alot more wind because it is higher off the water. The revo was more comfortable than the outback for both of us. The lower back support comes up higher in the revo. Before renting, I thought I really wanted the outback.